‘Just evil.’ Tacoma child disappeared 30 years ago, but case remains cold
It has been 30 years since 3-year-old Lenoria Jones went missing, and her mother believes nothing will be done to those who might be responsible.
Lenoria was reported missing on July 20, 1995, after her great-aunt called to report the girl disappeared while they shopped at Target in Tacoma on South 23rd Street. Surveillance cameras told a different story as Lenoria had not been in the store.
Her great-aunt told police different accounts on Lenoria’s whereabouts before she went missing, saying she was either kidnapped or simply wandered away from her home in the 1900 block of South Sheridan Avenue. Lenoria was placed in her great-aunt’s custody in 1994, and the woman had been trying to adopt her when she went missing.
The News Tribune reported that Lenoria was born with cocaine in her system, and her mother relinquished her parental rights.
To this day, Lenoria has not been found, and detectives presume she is dead, the victim of foul play, The News Tribune previously reported.
Police have received tips indicating that Lenoria’s family was involved in her disappearance and the disposal of her body, but Tacoma Police Department detective Julie Dier said in a news conference in 2023 there is no evidence of that.
Deidre Jones, Lenoria’s mother, told The News Tribune on Friday that she believes her cousins and aunt were involved in her daughter’s disappearance and likely death.
“It’s been a long time, but I just wanted closure. And it seemed like to me, I thought they would at least arrest someone, you know, my cousins, or even do something, but nothing was ever done,” Jones said.
Jones said she does not believe anything will be done to those who could be involved in her daughter’s disappearance.
“If there’s someone in the house and a child disappears, I thought something should be done,” she said. “We can still hope and all that, but I don’t know.”
Detective James Buchanan told The News Tribune last year that he paid a visit to Lenoria’s great-aunt, but she told him “that she’d made good with God.”
“That’s an admission of guilt to me, but, nope, not to anyone else,” Jones said. “To me, it’s just evil to do away with a child — and a family member — and then just treat it as if it’s nothing.”
Lenoria’s great-aunt eventually stopped talking to investigators. Jones, who also lives in Spokane, said she wants her family to tell the truth so she can put Lenoria to rest.
No one has been arrested or charged in Lenoria’s disappearance as of now.
There is an up to $1,000 reward through Crime Stoppers. for information that leads to someone being arrested and charged. Anyone with information can remain anonymous and call 253-591-5959.
At the time of Lenoria’s disappearance, she had brown eyes and black hair that were worn in braids and was wearing a “Barney” T-shirt and blue turquoise pants. She was 3 feet tall and 40 pounds. She suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which required medication.
An age-progression photo from the National Center of Missing & Exploited Children shows how Lenoria would look today at 33 years old.
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
